Button-making press.



Patented Mar. 6, |900.

Patehted Mar. '6, |900.

E. W. SILSBY.

BUTTON MAKING PRESS.

(Application -led Jan. 14, 1899.)

(Ilo Model.)

EUGENE W. SILSBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BUTTON-MAKING PRESS.

sPnciFIcATiN forming pere of Lettere Patent No. 644,645, .rated Meren c, leoo.

Application filed January 14, 1899. Serial No. 702,153. (No model.)

T0 ctZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE W. SILsBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Making Presses, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this mechanism is to provide means for making buttons of various forms requiring the clenching together of two or more parts by two or more pressing or forming movements of cooperating dies.

It consists in the features of construction which are pointed out in the claims.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved button-forming press, the pedal connections b eing partly broken away to condense the view. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section at the line 2 2 on Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of certain of the parts shown in Fig. l at different positions. Fig. 4 is a detail section at the line 4 4e on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the pedal mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail section at the line 6 6 on Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is an aXial section of the upper die. Fig. 8 is a similar section of one of the lower dies. Fig. 9 is a similar section of the other lower die. Fig. l0 is a detail section at line 10 lO on Fig. 5.

My improved button-press is designed to be operated by foot-power, and certain features of the pedal mechanism are designed with special reference to the necessity for exerting a strong pressure for a very short distance, and at the same time obtaining quite along movement, throughout the greater portion of which but little power is required.

A is the press-standard, having a base H, mounted upon a suitable table X. ard A has bearings I I overhanging the base H to receive the reciprocating head B, which carries the upper former or die hereinafter described.

F is a draft bar or link suitably connected to the reciprocating head B to actuate the same. the base and is located between the standard A and the reciprocating head. It isconnected to the latter by pivotal attachment ,to a suitable arm of the collar E, which is rigidly The stand- This operating-bar extends through' otal axis of the oscillating carrier, so that 6o by the operation of the carrier they may each in turn be brought into line with the reciprocating head and may cooperate with a conipound die O L', carried by the latter. The outer members C', C2, and C3 of these compound dies are adapted to be moved longitudinally with respect to the inner members L', L2, and L2, respectively, springs ct a ct being provided adapted to hold the movable members protruded with respect to the fixed members.

For the purpose of understanding the movements and operating devices of the press it is sufficient to observe that the upper die O L is arranged to cooperate first with the lower die O2 L2 and afterward with the lower die C3 L3 and that the button is completed by the last-mentioned action and ejected from the die C3 L3. The movements necessary are therefore such oscillation of the carrier D as to bring the first die C2 L2 in line with the upper die during such portion of the downward and upward movement of the reciprocating head as necessary to permit the tw'o dies thus opposed to cooperate and then to swing the carrier in a direction to bring the other die O3 L3 in line ready for the next downward movement and to operate the buttonejecting device during the latter part of the second upward movement of the reciprocating head. It should also be stated that the action necessary to form and combine the parts of the button requires that the upper die should operate as if its two parts were rigid while it is cooperating with the first lower die, but is designed to have the outer member C yield in cooperation with the sec= ond of the lower dies. In order to accomplish these movements and attain these results, I provide a depending latch G, pivotally carried by a reciprocating head, which is most conveniently eifected by pivoting it on the same arm of the collar E to which the draft-bar F is attached. This latch has the IOO shoulder g at the lower end adapted to engage above the outer member C/ of the upper die and when thus engaged to lock it against yielding upwardly, thus neutralizing for the time being the featureof construction involving the spring a, which is provided to render said member adapted to yield upward. The latch G is preferably arranged with a weighted tail G at the opposite side of its pivot from its depending arm, such tail being heavy enough to cause said depending arm to hang normally in position to engage above the member C/ of the die and lock the same, as described. lVhen the carrier D is in position to bring the die C2 L2 in line with the upper die, the head B, being depressed, causes the two dies thus opposed to cooperate as if the upper one were rigid. The reciprocating head having withdrawn after such action, the carrier D is oscillated to bring the carrier C2 L3 in line, and there is attached to the carrier a switch or trip P, which by the movement which brings the die C3 L2 into operating position is carried into the path of the oblique end g' of the depending latch G and as the head B next descends, encountering the tail, causes it to be deflected rearward and its shoulder g to be carried off from above the yielding member C of the upper die, so that when said die reaches the lower die or blank or button thereon to perform the required action said outer member is in condition to yield and operates yieldingly in performing the function required at this stage. Then the reciprocating head withdraws after this second operation, the outer member C of the upper die is forced by the spring down along the inner side of the latch and engages the shoulder of the latter. The locking action, it will be observed, is effected by gravity and the unlocking action by the switch which is carried by the oscillating die-carrier, such switch being suitably related in position to the second die and out of range when the first die is in action.

In order to eject the button from the second die after the second process, there is provided, in connection with the xed element L2 of that die, a rod which extends down through the stem of said ixed element L2 and protrudes below the same, and to the reciprocating head B there is pivotally connected a pendent rod N, which extends down through the base, suitably apertured for the purpose, and has an arm N extended forwardly, from which a finger N2 is extended laterally, so that normally this finger extends under the center of the second lower die and in position to encounter the rod c when the reciprocating head is raised, while said second die stands in position for cooperation with the upper die. The finger N2 extends, however, in a direction oblique to the path which the rod c traces, so that, as seen in Fig. 4, the oscillating movement of the carrier by which the second die is brought into oscillating position being performed while the reciprocating head is upraised brings the end of the rod c2 laterally against the forward edge of the finger N2 and causes the pendent rod N to swing rearward on its pivotalsupport. When after this movement the reci procatin g head is depressed, said' pendant being carried down with it, the iinger N2 on the latter is carried o the rod C, and being no longer resisted or held back by said rod swings in below it and is in position to encounter it when the head is next lifted, which occurs after the completion of the work, which is performed by the cooperation of the upper die with the second lower die and after the button is finished and ready to be ejected, such ejection being accomplished by the upward thrust thus given to the rod C.

I prefer to have the oscillating carrier D arranged to be oscillated automatically by the reciprocation of the head B, and for this purpose l have provided mechanism which will now be described. The carrier terminates at the forward side in an angle whose two sides D4 and D5 are respectively at right angles to radial planes connecting the pivotal axis of the carrier with the axes of the two dies thereon. A stiff flat spring D6, secu red at the lower end to the base H, is arranged so that its free up per end bears directly rearward-that is, directly toward the path of reci procation or axis 'of the upper die-so that when said spring presses upon the face D4 the die C2 L2 is held in line with the upper die, and when it presses upon the face D5 the die C3 L8 is so held in line. If the carrier is shifted from one position toward the other, the spring resists the movement so long as the angle between the spring and the face from which it is being forced is less than the angle of the spring to the other face; but as soon as thepoint of equality is passed the spring operates to complete the shifting movement and presses upon the face to which it bears the lesser angle.

Below the base H there is journaled a rockshaft T, extending fore and aft and having a lever-arm T', which extends up through the base and is provided with a roller-terminal if, which engages in a slot I-l' in the carrier D, so that the rocking of the shaft actuates the carrier and shifts it far enough from either eXtreme position to the point from which the spring will shift it the remaining distance, as above described. The slot Dl is long enough to allow the movement of the carrier caused by the spring DG after the lever-arms movement is made. From the rock-shaft another arm T2 extends downward a little forwardv of the draft-bar F. On the forward side of the draft-bar there is connected thereto by means of a spring U a triangular switch-cam V, with its apex upward, one end of the spring U being connected to a stndfon the draft-bar and the other end being connected to a stud lz.' on the cam. The cam has a transverse slot V', and a stud V2 projects from the draft-bar into this slot. The spring is stretched, so that it IOO IIO

tends to hold the switch-cam V upward and the stud o as far from the stud V3 as the slot V will permit. This results in a tendency to keep the stud V3 at one end of the slot V', for the distance of the stud V3 while in the slot from the stud i; is least when the stud is at the middle of the length of the slot, and said distance increases as the cam swings, so as to cause the other end of the slot to approach the stud. The cam, therefore, is not stable when the stud is at the middle point of the slot, but upon being placed in that position it tends to swing therefrom in one direction or the other, and upon being moved to the slightest extent past the center in either direction it tends, under the action of the spring, to move immediately to the extreme position permitted by the length of the slot. From the rear side of the cam, near the apex, a stud V4 projects into a slot F3in the bar F, which extends transversely with respect to the bar and limits the lateral movement of the apex of the cam in either direction. The studs fand V3 are in the vertical fore-and-aft plane of the rock-shaft T, and the slot F3 extends an equal distance in both directions from such vertical plane. The arm T2 of the rock-shaft has an abutment or wrist T20, which extends into the plane of the cam, so that it may be encountered by the edge of the latter as the barF reciprocates. When the rock-shaft T stands in the position to which it moves in order to cause it to move the oscillating carrier to the extreme of its range of oscillating movement, at Which the die C3 L2 is in operative relation to the upper die, and when said upper die is at its lowest position and is in engagement with said lower die, the arm T2 stands inclined toward the side of the vertical plane of the rock-shaft, to which the apex of the cam is also deflected; but said apex-stands outside said wrist, so that as the bar F rises the wrist will be engaged on the inner side of the cam-that is, on the side toward the vertical fore-andaft plane of the rock-shaft. The first eect of such engagement as the bar F rises is to cause the cam to swing over the stud V4, bearing in the end of the slot F3 as a fulcrum, until the wrist T20 passes the center of the slot D', thus causing the spring to tend to swing it still farther over and bring the stud to the opposite end of the slot. In this latter part of the movement the cam will fulcrum over the wrist T20 and the stud V3 may withdraw from the end of the slot F3, at which it has been bearing; but the continued upward movementof the cam, causing its edge to continue to press upon the wrist T30, will either retain the'J stud V3 in its rst position or immediately restore it thereto, and as the movement of the cam continues, said cam being now stopped at bot-h ends against movement in the direction in which the pressure of the wrist would force it, the wrist must yield and the arm T2 is forced over toward the vertical plane of the rock-shaft and past said plane until it is inclined as far to the left of the vertical plane as it was inclined to the right at the commencement of the movement described. Such movement of the rock-shaft causes the lever-arm T to oscillate the carrier D from the extreme position in which it stood at the commencement of the action suflciently to cause the apex D3 to pass a line from the center of the pivot of the carrier at right angles to the spring D6 far enough to cause the spring to act upon the apex with a pressure sufficiently oblique to that line to complete the swinging movement of the carrier to the other extreme position, at which the spring bears directly upon the fiat face D5. W'hen the next descending movement of the reciprocating head and bar F occurs, the wrist T20, descending in a vertical line, tends to withdraw from the inclined edge of the cam, and the action of the spring U causes the apex of the cam to swing over to the opposite side of the vertical central line, so that it stands as far to the left of the vertical descending path of the wrist as it was to the right of the ascending path of the wrist when the latter was in the opposite position. As the wrist now further descends the cam yields inward to let the wrist pass it and immediately springs back to its position out-side the path of the wrist, and when the next ascending movement occurs the wrist engages on the inner slope of the cam and repeats the action performed upon the preceding ascending movement, but now with the effect of rocking the shaft T in the opposite direction and oscillating the carrier back to its first position. Thus at each ascending movement of the reciprocatin g head the carrier D is oscillated to change the position of the dies and at the descending movement remains unchanged in position while the dies cooperate.

A press of this character when used to form very large disks requiring extremepressure at the culminating moment of the action if operated by a pedal must have a pedal mechanism so constructed as to afford a very powerful pressure at the finish of the movement and at the same time allow for the considerably-long movement which is necessary to accommodate the action of the compound dies and operate the other devices which are adapted to act upon the vertical movement of the upper or reciprocating head. To accomplish these purposes, I have devised the pawl mechanism herein shown. The draftbar F is guided at the lower end in a vertical sleeve F', which extends from a base R. To this base there is pivoted at the lower end the link R', which at the upper end is pivotally connected to the pedal-bar R2, which is longitudinally slotted or made in the form of a clevis embracing the draft-bar, and thereby steadied laterally. A stud F2 is inserted through the draft-bar at both sides, serving to form trunnions on which the pedal-bar may bear. Rollers may be mounted on these trunnions, as illustrated, to reduce friction.

IOO

To the draft-bar, a short distance below the trunnions, there is pivoted a link R3, preferably forked and striding the draft-bar, as illustrated, the other end of the link being pivotally connected at r3 to the pedal-bar at a considerable distance forward of the draftbar F. The relation of the parts-that is, the distances between the several pivots-is such that when the pivot is at the highest point, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 5, the rear end, pivoted to the tilting link R', is thrust rearward of the draft-bar several inches,as shown; but when the pedal is depressed at the forward end the action of the link R3 compels the pedal-bar to slide forward as it descends, operating upon the trunnions, and its fulcrum at the upper end of the link R is thereby brought forward toward the trunnions, and at the lower limit of the movement, while the severe work of compression is being formed in the dies, the fulcrum is very near the trunnions, while the pedal end of the lever is farther removed than ever therefrom. I have so constructed this mechanism that while at the commencement of the downward movement of the pedal the ratio of the distance from the fulcrum to the trunnions to the distance from the fulcrum to the pedai is one-fourth, when the downward movement is finishing that ratio is about one-sixteenth, thus affording four times the pressure at the end of the stroke as at the beginning. It is not material, evidently, whether the cam V is carried by the draft-bar or by any other vertically-operated part which moves with the reciprocating head; but in view of the perfect guidance which is given to the draft-bar at both ends it is the most convenient part to use to carry the cam.

I claiml. In a button-press, in combination with a head and base, cooperating compound dies, one carried by the head and two supported on the base; a carrier for said two dies constructed and arranged to be moved to bring either of said dies at will into cooperative relation with the upper die; a latch adapted to lock the upper die to cause it to operate as rigid; a switch located in relation to one of the lower dies and constructed and arranged to disengage the latch when the upper die engages said lower die; a thrust-rod in said lower die; an arm reciprocating with the head and having a finger extending below the lower die constructed and arranged to bear laterally against the protruding end of said thrust-rod while the head descends to bring the upper die into cooperation with said lower die and to pass below the thrust-rod at the limit of said descending movement, one of said parts being adapted to move laterally when the finger passes beyond the rod; whereby the finger becomes engaged under the rod, and lifts the latter to eject the button when the head rises.

2. In a button-press, in combination with a head and base, cooperating compound dies,

one carried by theI head and two supported ou the base; a carrier for said two dies constructed and arranged to be moved to bring either of said dies at will into cooperative relation with the upper die; a latch adapted to lock the upper die to cause it to operate as rigid; a switch associated with one of the lower dies constructed and arranged to disengage the latch when the upper die approaches said lower die; a thrust-rod in said lower die and a pendant carried by the reciprocating head and having a finger extending below the lower die constructed and arranged to bear'against the protruding end of said thrust-rod while the head descends to bring the upper die into cooperation with said lower die, and to swing under the end of said thrustrod at the limit of said descending movement, whereby the thrust-rod is caused to eject the button when the head rises.

In a press, in combination with a reciprocating head and fixed base, an upper and lower die carried by the head and base respectively, said dies being constructed and arranged to leave the device which is formed between them in the lower die at the termination of their cooperative action; a thrustrod in said lower die; an arm reciprocating with the head extending down past the lower die and provided with a finger adapted to extend under the thrust-rod when the head is at the lowest position; a carrier on the base arranged to move the lower die laterally, the range of such lateral movement being suiicient to carry the thrust-rod off the finger.

4. In a press, in combination with the reciprocating head and fixed base, an upper and lower die carried by the head and base, respectively, said dies being constructed and arranged to leave the device formed between them in the lower die; a thrust-rod in said lower die, and a pendant carried by the reciprocating head extending down past the lower die and provided with a finger adapted to extend under the thrust-rod when the head is at the lowest position; a carrier on the base arranged to move the lower die laterally, the range of such lateral movement being suiiicient to carry the thrust-rod oti the finger, whereby the finger is caused to hang against the side of the thrust-rod while descending past it and to swing in under the thrust-rod when it passes the end of the latter: substantially as set forth.

5. In a press, in combination with a standard and base, a head reciprocating in the standard; a compound die carried by the reciprocating head; a die-carrier on the base havinga plurality of dies and constructed and arranged to be moved to bring said dies successively one at a time in line with a die carried by the head; a draft-bar connected to the head and extending through the base between the standard and the path of reciprocation of the head and a pedal mechanism connected therewith; a latch carried by the reciprocatinghead and pivotally suspended between the IIO IZO

' path of the die and the standard by gravity to swing into position to lock the compound die carried by the head, and suitable means associated with one of the dies on the carrier for deiiecting the latch when the die carried by the head descends to coperate with such die on the carrier.

6. In combination with an upper die and a lower die, one of which is adapted to yield with respect to the other, two dies and a carrier on which they are mounted adapted to be moved to bring said two dies one at a time into coperating relation with said upper die, said two dies having each two elements, one of which is adapted to yield longitudinally with respect to the other; a latch for locking the two elements of the upper die to prevent yielding; means provided in relation to one of the lower dies for disengaging such latch to permit the yielding element ot' the upper die to yield when it coperates with the lower die which is so provided.

7. In a press, in combination with the reciprocating head and a fixed base; a carrier on the base adapted to oscillate, a die carried by the reciprocating head and two dies carried by the oscillating carrier; the carrier having adjacent to its pivot on the base two seats or faces at an angle to each other which is the complement of the angle through which the carrier oscillates to bring its two dies respectively into cooperative relation to the upper die, and a spring secured to the base and bearing against the carrier at the angle between said faces, whereby it tends to hold the carrier at one limit or the other of its range of oscillation and to move it from any point between said limits to the nearer limit.

8. In a press, in combination with a reciprocating head and the die carried thereby; a fixed base and an oscillatin g carrier thereon and two dies carried thereby; mechanism for oscillating the die-carrier to bring its dies alternately into cooperation with the die of the reciprocating head, and mechanical connections by which said mechanism derives movement from the reciprocating movement of the head.

9. In a press, in combination with a reciprocating head and a die carried thereby, the fixed base and an oscillating die-carrier thereon and two dies carried thereby; a bar reciprocating with the head; a cam V mounted thereon; a spring U which connects the cam to the bar attached at one end to the cam and at the other end to the bar and tending to hold the cam upward; the cam havinga transverse slot below the spring, and a stud on the bar which engages the slot; an abutment at the upper part of the cam, and lateral stops on the bar between which said abutment may oscillate and which limits said oscillating movement; suitable connections from the oscillating carrier comprising an abutment which protrudes into the plane of reciprocation and oscillation of the cam V, constructed and arranged to be encountered by said cam as the bar reciprocates to cause the carrier to be oscillated: substantially as described.

l0. In a press, in combination with the reciprocating head and the die carried thereby; a fixed base and an oscillating carrier thereon and two dies carried thereby; a rock-shaft journaled in the base having one arm which engages the carrier to oscillate it; a bar reciprocating with the head and a cam V mounted thereon; a spring U which connects the cam to the bar attached at one end to the cam and at the other end to the bar and tending to hold the cam upward; the cam having a transverse slot below the spring, and a stud on the bar which engages such slot; an abutment at the upper part ot' the cam and lateral stops on the bar between which said abutment may oscillate and which limit such oscillating movement; the rock-shaft having a second arm projecting downward and extending into the path of the cam V, arranged to be encountered by the latter as the bar reciprocates to cause the carrier to be oscillated:

substantially as set forth.

l1. In a die-press, in combination with a reciprocating head and the draft-bar for operating it; vertical guideways for the draft-bar and a pedal mechanism for operating the same comprising an upstanding'link at the rear of the draft-bar; a pedal-lever pivotally connected to the upper end of such link and extending across the draft-bar, and a second link pivotally connected to the draft-bar and to the forward part of the pedal-lever, and an abutment on the draft-bar above the pivot of the last-mentioned link thereto and below the pedal-lever adapted to afford bearing for the latter as it descends, said parts being constructed and arranged substantially as set forthto cause the rear fulcrum of the pedallever at the upper end of the upstanding link to advance toward the draft-bar as' the pedal-lever is depressed at the forward end and increase the leverage of the pedal as it descends.

12. In a die-press, in combination with a reciprocating head, a vertically-guided draftbar for operating it; pedal mechanism for operating the same comprising an upstanding link at the rear of the draft-bar; a pedal-lever pivotally connected to the upper end of such link and extending across the draft-bar; an abutment on the draft-bar below the pedallever adapted to afford bearing for the latter as it descends, and suitable means for causing the draft-bar to move longitudinally forward during itsv descent to cause the rear fulcrum of the pedal-lever at the upper end of the upstanding link to approach the abutment by which the pedal-lever actuates the draft-bar.

13. In a die-press, in combination with a reciprocating head, a vertically-reciprocating draft-bar for operating it; pedal mechanism for operating the same comprising an oscillating link at the rear of the draft-bar a pedallever pivotally connected to the upper Vend of IDO IOS

IIO

such link and extending across the draft-bar; an abutment on the draft-bar to receive the pressure of the pedal-lever and afford bearing for the latter as it descends, and suitable means for causing the pedal-lever to move longitudinally forward during its descent, to cause the rear fulcrum of the pedal-lever to approach the abutment by which said lever act'uates the draft-bar.

ll. In a power-supplying` mechanism, a reciprocating draft-bar from which power is communicated to such mechanism pedal mechanism for operating the draft-bar comprising an oscillating link at the rear of such draft-bar, a pedal-lever pivotally connected to the link and extending across the draft- E. W. SILSBY.

Witnesses:

JOHN B. SKINNER, CHAs. S. BURTON. 

